---
title: Evaluation order
description: Evaluation ordering determines which tools, options, or properties take precedence over others in the command-line utility.
component: pingdirectory
version: 9.3
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdatametrics_server_administration_guide:pd_met_evaluation_order
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/9.3/pingdatametrics_server_administration_guide/pd_met_evaluation_order.html
revdate: September 13, 2023
---

# Evaluation order

Evaluation ordering determines which tools, options, or properties take precedence over others in the command-line utility.

The following evaluation ordering is used to determine options for a given command-line utility:

* All options used with a utility on the command line take precedence over any options in any properties file.

* If the `--propertiesFilePath` option is used with no other options, the server takes its options from the specified properties file.

* If no options are used on the command line including the `--propertiesFilePath` option (and `--noPropertiesFile`), the server searches for the `tools.properties` file at `<server-root>`.

* If no default properties file is found and a required option is missing, the tool generates an error.

* Tool-specific properties (such as `ldapsearch.port=3389`) have precedence over general properties (such as `port=1389`).